Dem-Bart stock finnish reviews

[nekshot]

I bought a can of this and I am impressed. I want to do a complete stock, any wisdom for a dude who has no water based finnish expierence?

[seaboltm]

If you are referring to Dem-Bart checkering oil, I often use it as a stock finish. It dries as hard as the hubs of hell. It can be thinned with mineral spirits. I have even added a drop or two of stain in it before for effect. Dem-Bart oil is NOT water based. It is very water resistant. After sanding to about 220, I sand/mix a bit of the sanding dust with the Dem-Bart, forming a sludge. Lightly sand with the grain allowing the sludge to build and fill the pores. Allow to dry until the sludge is tacky. Wipe the sludge gently with a paper towel of low quality, like the brown paper bag looking style in gas stations. You want to wipe the excess sludge off, not remove it from the pores. Allow it to dry for two days inside, low humidity controlled situation. Hit it with some 400 but not to bare wood. Add a coat of Dem-Bart, allow to dry for two days. Do this with 400 until the pores are filled and the finish is uniform. It will probably be a high gloss at this point and will have some streaks from wiping the oil on (maybe. if you hand rub the coats in there will be no streaks). After the last coat allow it to dry for at least a full week. Then use some Rottenstone with boiled linseed oil to knock down the high gloss and to remove any streaks and finish imperfections. Done properly it takes a couple of weeks. I get side tracked so it takes a couple of months.

[nekshot]

Thanks for the info, that is what I was hoping to hear some others expierence with it. I thoght the can said water base but I am to lazy to go out to shop in this cold weather and look and I really don't care oil or water. The piece of wood I was playing with really showed a good hard finnish and I was happy with it. Looking forward to using it on a new stock!

[bobthenailer]

I have used Dem-bart chercking oil to refinish about 7 rifle stocks as well as a few handgun grips over a time period about 25 years , its been easy to do with excellent results and a durable nice looking finish.